Improvement for changing the speed of steam-carriages



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J-OHN GRIFFIN, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT FOR CHANGING THE SPEED 0F STEAM-CARRIAGES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 31,455, dated February 19,1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GRIFFIN, of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have inventeda new and Improved Steam Cotton Picker or Harvester; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in Which- Figure l is a side sectional View of my invention; Fig. 2, a transverse vertical section of the same taken, in the line oc @Figa l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two igures.

The object of this invention is to obtain a ready means whereby the steamcarriage which contains the cotton-receivers and also the exhaust chambers, together with the means for exhausting the same, may be driven at a fast or slow speed, as occasion may require, a fast speed being required when the steamcarriage is being driven from place to place, and a comparatively slow speed required when the device is at work.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a platform, which contains a rectangular framing B and is supported by two pairs of Wheels C D, the axle a of the back wheels being attached by a king-bolt to a bolster c at the back part of the platform, so as to admit of the ready turning of the machine. The front Wheels D are iitted on independent axles CZ CZ', as shown clearly in Fig. 2, the drivingpower being applied to the axle CZ.

On the platform A there is placed a steamengine E. The cylinder e of the engine is provided with trunnicnsf and is hung in bearings g, precisely the same as an oscillating engine. The piston-rod Zt of the cylinder cis connected by a pitmanz' with a crank j, which is on a vertical shaft Za. The lower end of shaft Zt has a pinion Z on it, and this pinion gears into a wheelm on the axle CZ', as shown plainly `in both igures. The wheel m is allowed to slide on the axle CZ, so that the wheel may be shoved in and out of gear with pinion Z, as may be desired.

To the piston-rod h there is attached a frame F, which is composed of four horizontal rods t, attached at their ends to plates j j. The rods t" pass through upright plates Za k', attached to the platform A, said plates serving as guides for the rods.

To the end of the frame F--the end opposite to that Where the piston-rod h is attachedthere is secured the piston-rod Z of an airpump G, which exhausts receivers H H on the framing B. The engine E therefore, it Will be seen, operates the pump G through the medium of the frame F, and at the same time propels the carriage along through the medium of the crank j and gearing Z m, and. this gearing will propel the carriage along at a very moderate speed, owing to the relative size of the wheels Z m.

The axle CZ is provided with a crank n, t0 Which a pitman H is attached, as shown clearly in Fig. l.

When it is required to drive the carriage `With a quick speed, the piston-rod Zt is detached from the frame F and attached directly to the pitman H. In this case the cylinder@ operates as an oscillator and a quick movement is given the carriage,

The cylinder eis shown attached to the pitman H in red outline in Fig. 1.

Vhen the engineE is used as an oscillator, the wheel m is shoved out of gear With pinion Z.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Paten t, is-

The arrangement, essentially as shown, of the steam-cylinder e, hung on trunions f, in connection with the reciprocating frame F, air-pump G, pitmen H t', and gearing Z rm., whereby the speed of the carriage may be changed from fast to slow, and vice versa, as

occasion may' require. l

JOHN GRIFFIN. 1Witnesses:

B. F. CAMP, JOHN K. LANE. 

